Gate-latch.



G. A. WHITEHURST & J. L. SHULENBERGER.

GATE LATCH. 7 APPLICATION FILED APR. I, 1915.

1,178,980. Patented Apr. 11,1916.

7 v 3444142444 016 C, 1/7 Wiif/awai Jj. i kll wifffi yer CALVIN A, WHITEHU RST AND JAMES L. SHULENBERGER, OF CLYDE, MISSISSIPPI.

GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1915. Serial No. 18,548.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CALVIN A. VVHITE- HURST and JAMES L. SHULENBERGER, citizens of the United States, residing at Clyde, in

the county of Lamar and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for securing gates, doors and like devices, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructeddevice which will be automatically displaced when the gate is closed and hold the gate in closed position and may be manually released when the gate is to be opened.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a simply constructed device which may be locked in openor closed position to enable the gate to be opened without affecting the improved device, or to positively lock the gate in closed position. v

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and.

described and then specifically pointed out in the claim.

The improved device may be applied to gates of various sizes and forms, doors, or any other of the various structures mounted to swing or to move toward or away from a fixed structure, but for the purpose of illustration is shown applied to a conventional gate and its latch post, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the inventionFigure 1 is a side view of a portion of a gate and a portion of the latch post with the improvement applied. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. l'viewed from the fence side. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4c is a detached perspective view of the portion of the device which is attached to the latch post. 'Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the portion of the device which is attached to the gate. Fig. 6 is a detail View on a reduced scale illustrating the manner of applying the improved device'to a gate swinging in both directions.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device comprises a supporting member including spaced sides 1011 Patented Apr. 11, rare.

and preferably integral with a base plate 12,

the latter extending for a considerable distancebelow the members 10-:11.

In carrying out our invention, we employsubstantially U-shaped supporting member including spaced sides 10 and 11 an ranged to extend laterally from one side of a base 12 and disposed at substantially right angles to the supporting member. Preferably, the' sides at their inner extremities, are integral with the base and are connected thereto adjacent its longitudinal edges. The sides, at their outer extremities, are connected by a bight portion 16. It will be noted that one extremity of the base 12 is arranged to extend a considerable distance upon one side of the supporting member and this end of the base provides a striking plate,

the supporting member being connected to the base upon one side of its longitudinal center. Extending transversely throughthe members 10-11 and spaced inwardly from the closed outer end 16 thereof is a pin 17. An annular member 18 is supported by the pin between the members 10-11 and hangs normally below the lower line of the lower inner end ofthe member 16 as shown in Fig. 2. By this means the annular mem ber cannot be moved toward the end 16 by pressure applied thereto below the members 10-11, but is freeto move in the opposite direction when inward and upward pressure is applied to the annular member. The

'member 20 is so located that it projects beneath the member 1011 when the gate is closed and preferably slightly below the longitudinal lineof the annular member 18.

when the latter is in its lowest position, as illustrated in Fig. 2. By this arrangement, when the gate is to be closed, the member 20 moves it upwardly and then, when the member 20 passes beyond the member 18 to en'- gage the striking plate of the basev 12, the

member 18 falls by gravity in front of the automatically displaces the member 18 and member 20, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus 7 that by actuating the member 21 the member 18 may be locked in either its upper or lower position. Thus when the gate is to be retained in closed position, the member 21 is rotated to apply lateral pressure to the member 18 and to bind it in position against the member 11, but if the improved apparatus is to be retained in inoperative position, the member 20 is actuated when the member 18 is in its elevated-position, or in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Vhen thus arranged it will be obvious that the gate is free to be opened or closed without reference to the member 18.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and applied, and operates effectually for the use described. gate swinging in both directions, the structure shown in Fig. 6 will be employed.

When applied to a Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is:

A device of the character described including a base, a substantially U-shaped supporting member extending laterally from one side of the base and having spaced sides extending from opposite longitudinal sides of the base, the supporting member being connected to the base adjacent one end thereof and the oppositeend of the base providing a striking plate, an annular member shiftable between the sides of the supporting member to depend. in front of the striking plate at substantially right angles thereto, a stop adapted for attachment to a movable object and shiftable therewith for displacing the annular member to seat against the striking plate with the said stop abutting the annular member for holding it against the said plate, and means adjustable upon one of the sides of the supporting member to engage one side face of the said annular member for frictionally binding it in fixed position between said sides.

In testimony whereof We our signatures in presence of two witnesses. 1

CALVIN A. WHI'lEHURST. JAMES L. SHULENBERGER. Witnesses:

H. A. MORANEY, WV. T. Monnrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

